Signaling system.



M. E. LAUNBRANGH.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 00124. 1911.

1,1 17,86 Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

THE NORRIS PETERS co PHOTO-LIIHO. WASHING TUN D. c

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Application filed October 24, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MALCOLM E. LAUN- BRANCH,a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Signaling Systems, of which the following is a full,clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to signaling systems and has for its object theprovision of an improved system in which a central station and aplurality of substations are used all on the same circuit.

It is an object of my invention to so arrange a system that thesubstations may signal among themselves by code ringing, and yet at thesame time have means whereby they may call central without disturbingany of the other stations on the line. The arrangement is also such thatwhen code ringing between themselves, the central station is not given asignal which indicates a call for the central station. In one of theforms of my invention, however, the central station may be provided witha signal so that the operator thereat may have supervision over theline, and which signal indicates when the line is being used forsignaling purposes among the substations. This signal may also be ofadvantage in indicating to the operator at the central station anypossible trouble on the line.

In the preferred form of the invention suitable appliances including asource of power are provided at the central station, and controllingdevices are provided at each substation.

It is one of the objects of my invention when using this preferred formto eliminate the generating appliances at the substations.

y invention may of course be broadly applied and I do not limit it bythe specific description herein, but I merely set forth a certain formof carrying out this invention. I will however describe specifically inthe drawing two forms which my invention may take, in which drawing acircuit arrangement is set forth diagrammatically in Figure 1 and Fig. 2shows a modification.

In this drawing I show a central station A, and substations B, C. Linewires 1 and 2 are utilized to unite all the stations. The.

line wires 1 and 2 preferably terminate at the central station in a jack3, the ordinary Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

Serial No. 656,503.

plug and cord connecting devices being omitted for the sake of clearnessas they may be, for instance, any of the well known forms utilized fortelephone central stations. At the central sation I also have a drop lwhich is of the ordinary construction and by means of the shutter 5indicates to the operator the desire of some subscriber on the line tohave telephone connection through the exchange. A. source of powerpreferably a battery 6 is provided at the central station coils 10 and11 are of such size as to preventpassage of voice currents therethrough.The relay 9 has an armature 12 under the control of a retractile spring13. The relay is so arranged that when current flows through both of thecoils 7 and 8 from the full battery 6, the armature 12 will beattracted. Vhen, however, current flows through one co-il only from aportion, say one-half of the cells of the battery, then the energizationis not sufficient to actuate the armature 12. A wire 14 leads from thearmature 12 to a battery 15.

The front contact 16 of the armature 12 is connected by means of aconductor 17 with a signal preferably a lamp 18. A conductor 19 extendsfrom this signal to a contact 20 adapted for association with a secondcontact 21. These contacts 20 and 21 are under the control of anarmature 22 of a current interrupter 23. A spring 24 normally holds thearmature in such position as to maintain the circuit between springs 20and 21 closed. The current interrupter has coils 25, 25 in series withthe springs 20 and 21 and in series with the battery 15 so that thecomplete circuit through the device would be from conductor 19 to spring20, spring 21, coils 25, battery 15, and conductor 14. whenever thecircuit is closed through the armature 12, and contact 16, armature 22of the current interrupter vibrates. vibrating contact is periodicallybetween the armature 22 and a spring 26, this armature and contactspring are serially included in a circuit including a battery 27 and aprimary winding 28 of a transformer. A secondary winding 29 isassociated with the "primary winding 28 and extends through a condenser30 by means of the conductors 31 and 32 to the line wires 1 and 2.

When this established It will thus be seen that when the armature 20vibrates, the current from the battery 27 is periodically passed throughthe primary winding 28, which causes alternating current in the winding29, and this alternating current is used for signaling purposes for thesubstations as will presently appear. At each substation, I may have thetalking circuit comprising the receiver 33, induction coil 3%,transmitter 35 and attery 36 in bridge of the line circuit. At eachsubstation 1 also have a polarized ringer 37 bridged across the linepreferably through the interposition of a condenser 38. I also have twocontrolling devices at each substation which may be push buttonsconsisting of the buttons 39 and 40 associated with contacts 11 and 2respectively. Contact 41 is grounded at 43, and contact 42 ex tends bymeans of the conductor 44 to the line wire 2. Both contact buttons 39and 4.0 are then connected with the line conductor 1.

The operation of the system will now be apparent. If the button 39 isactuated. then a circuit is established from ground &3 through contactd1, button 39, conductor 1, coil 10, coil 7, one-half of the battery 6,drop at to ground at 4:5. The circuit thus established will permitenergization of the drop 4: to notify the central station operator thatone of the substations desires communication through the exchange, andthe ordinary appliances are brought into operation in association withthe jack 3 to carry out the ordinary operations. The establishment ofthis circuit it will have been noted does not in any way signal theremaining substations. Now should it be desired at any substation tocommunicate with any other substation, it is unnecessary to disturb thecentral operator, and in such case the button 40 is used. N ow wheneverbutton 4&0 is manipulated, a circuit is established from contact asthrough conductor 44:, signal 37', conductor 2,'coil 11, coil 8, battery6, coil 7, coil 10, conductor 1, to the button 40. lhis circuit does notcause energization of the drop 4,

but causes energization of the relay 7 to thereby attract its armature12-. The attraction of the armature 12 causes operation of the currentchanging device 23 and alternating impulses are impressed on the linewires 1 and to operate the substation signals 37. The impedance coils'lOand 11 prevent deflection rent through the relay 37 thus operate duringthe time either one of the buttons 40 is depressed.

desired without; affecting the crating equipment at the; substatiQn's-W-ll of this alternating cur 9.- It WIll be seen signal rece vingdevices Thus code signals may be sent'bet-w'een thestations as drop eatthe central station. The-entire absenceof; gen

also be noted. The signal lamp 18 provided in view of the operator 18has been referred to and this signal is designed to be illuminatedwhenever a button s0 is depressed, thus to indicate to the operatorshould she desire to exercise supervision over the line, whenever a callis being made. This signal likewise serves a second purpose in thatshould the lines become crossed or grounded, then this signal will bepermanent to indicate this trouble so that it may be properly attendedand removed.

in Fig. 2 I set forth a modification in which battery 4:6 may be acommon battery for use with several lines and this battery is employedin connection with the relays 7. I then provide a second common battery4!? which is used for operating the drops i. In this manner it will beseen a separate battery for each line is not necessary as would be thecase with the circuit shown in Fig. The circuits established by means ofthe push buttons 39 and ll) and the operation in general are similar tothe operation set in connection with Fig. 1.

The specific form of the invention thus set forth will indicate itsnature, and while not limiting myself to the specificform set forth,

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V

1. A signaling system having a plurality of stations all on the samecircuit, a signal receiving device at each substation, a source ofintermittent current supply adapted for association with said circuit,and means controlled at each substation to control the operation of saidsource and the association of said source with said circuit to operatesaid signal receiving devices in accordance with the operations of saidmeans.

2. A signaling system having a plurality of stations all on the samecircuit, a polarized signal receiving device at each substation, asource of intermittent current supply adapted for association with saidcircuit, and means controlled at each substation to control theoperation of said source and the association of said source circuit tooperate said signal receiving devices in accordance with the operationsof said means.

A. signaling system having a plurality of stations all on the samecircuit, a signal receiving device at each substation, a source ofalternating current supply adapted for, association with said circuit,and means controlled at each substation to control the operation of saidsource and the association of said source with said circuit to operatesaid signal receiving devices in accordance w th the operations of sa dmeans.

a. A signaling system haying-aplurality,

of stations-all on the same circuit, a signal ee w'msd u e at forth Iwith said each substation,--bridged across said circuit, means in saidbridge to prevent operative passage of direct current theretln-ough, asource of current supply adapted for association with said circuit, andmeans controlled at each substation to control the association of saidsource with said circuit to operate said signal receiving devices inaccordance with the operations of said means, said last aforesaid meansincluding a switching device in a parallel circuit with said firstaforesaid means.

5. A signaling system having a plurality of stations all on the samecircuit, a signal receiving device at each substation bridged acrosssaid circuit, means in said bridge to prevent operative passage ofdirect current therethrough, a source of current supply adapted forassociation with said circuit, means controlled at each substation tocon trol the association of said source with said circuit to operatesaid signal receiving devices in accordance with the operations of saidmeans, said last aforesaid means including a switching device in aparallel circuit with said first aforesaid means, and a relay to controlthe association of said source of current with said circuit.

6. A system of the character described having a central station and aplurality of substations associated together by means of an electriccircuit, a signal receiving device at the central station, signalreceiving devices at each substation, current supplying means at thecentral station, and means controlled at a substation to operate thesaid. signal at the central station to the exclusion of the substationsignal receiving devices, and to operate the substation signal receivingdevices to the exclusion of the central station signal receiving device.

7. A system of the character described having a central station and aplurality of substations associated together by means of an electriccircuit, a signal receiving device at the central station, signalreceiving devices at each substation, current supplying means at thecentral station, and means controlled at a substation to operate thesaid signal at the central station to the exclusion of the substationsignal receiving devices and to operate the substation signal receivindevices to the exclusion of the central station signal receiving devicetirough the agency of said current supplying means aforesaid.

8. A system of the character described having a central station and aplurality of substations associated together by means of an electriccircuit, a signal receiving device at the central station, signalreceiving devices at each substation, current supplying means at thecentral station, means controlled at a substation to operate the saidsignal at the central station to the exclusion of the substation signalreceiving devices and to operate the substation signal receiving devicesto the exclusion of the central station signal receiving device throughthe agency of said current supplying means aforesaid, and an auxiliarysignal at the central station, controlled by said current supplyingmeans to indicate whenever said current supplying means are furnishingcurrent to the circuit aforesaid.

9. A system of the character described having a central station and aplurality of substations united by means of an electric circuit, asignal receiving device at each substation, a signal receiving device atthe central station, means at the central station for impressingcurrents onto the circuit to operate said substation signal receiving devices, a switching device at each substation to control said means, anda second switching device at each substation to control the signalreceiving device at the central station independently of said means.

10. A system of the character described having a plurality of stationsall on the same circuit, a signal receiving device at each substation,bridged across said circuit, a condenser in said bridge to preventoperative passage of direct current therethrough, a source of currentsupply adapted for association with said circuit, and means controlledat each substation to control the association of said source with saidcircuit to operate said signal receiving devices in accordance with theoperations of said means, said last aforesaid means including aswitching device in parallel circuit with said condenser.

11. A signaling system having a plurality of stations all on the samecircuit, a signal receiving device at each substation bridged acrosssaid circuit, a condenser in said bridge to prevent operative passage ofdirect current therethrough, a source of current supply adapted forassociation with said circuit, and means controlled at each substationto control the association of said source with said circuit to operatesaid signal receiving devices in accordance with the operations of saidmeans, said last aforesaid means including a switching device in aparallel circuit with said condenser and in series with its associatedsignal receiving device.

12. A signaling system having a plurality of stations all on the samecircuit, a signal receiving device at each substation bridged acrosssaid circuit, a central station, a source of current thereat, a relayfor associating said source with said circuit, and a line signal at thecentral station having a winding one terminal of which is connected withan intermediate portion of the winding of said relay.

13. A signaling system having a plurality -& 1,11

of stations all on the same circuit, a signal receiving device at eachsubstation bridged across said circuit, a central station, asource ofcurrent thereat, a relay for associating said source with said circuit,a line signal at the central station having a winding one terminal ofwhich is connected with an intermediate portion of the winding of saidrelay, and means at each substation to control the operations of saidrelay.

A signaling system having a plurality of stations all on the samecircuit, a signal receiving device at each substation bridged acrosssaid circuit, a central station, a source of current thereat, a relayfor associating said source with said circuit, a line signal at thecentral station having a Winding one terminal of which is connected withan intermediate portion of the winding of said relay, and means at eachsubstation to control the operations of said relay and said line signal.

15. A signaling system having a plurality of stations all on the samecircuit, a signal receiving device at each such station bridged acrosssaid circuit, a central station, a current supply thereat, a relayconnected in bridge of said circuit for associating said current supplywith said circuit to operate said signals, a line signal at the centralstation having a winding one terminal of Which is connected with anintermediate portion of the winding of said relay andthe other saidcurrent supply, a switching device at of this patent may be obtained forfive cent terminal connected to each substation for operating said relayby said current supply to the exclusion of the line signal, and a secondswitching device at each substation having a return path to said currentsupply for operating said line signal to the exclusion of said relay.

16. A signaling system having a plurality of stations all on the sameline circuit, a signal receiving device at each such station bridgedacross said line, a central station, a relay, a source of current incircuit with said relay and the line, a line signal at the centralstation having a winding one terminal of which is connected withan'intermediate portion of the winding of said relay, agrounded sourceof current having its ungrounded pole connected to the other terminal ofsaid line signal, a switching device at each substation for closing acircuit including the first source of current and said relay forenergizing said relay, circuit connections closed by said relay forcausing the operation of said signal receiving devices, and a secondswitching device at each substation having a return path to the groundedpole of said second source for operating said line signal.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day ofOctober,

lslALCOLM E. LAUNBRANCH.

Witnesses A. S. DnNNIsoN, HAZEL Jones.

5 each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

son, I). C.

